I love Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series so I was excited and pleased to be offered an ARC through NetGalley. This is the 17th in the series, yet King somehow manages to keep it fresh and engaging. In this installment, Mary and Sherlock are asked by Mycroft (Sherlocks interfering brother) to investigate strange happenings in the wilds of Transylvania. It seems that the Castle Bran, under renovation by Queen Marie (Victoria's youngest) is under siege by vampires. Young girls have been accosted in the village and powers that be fear for the Queen and her daughter. Mary, having just finished Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is instantly intrigued. Mycroft requires her youth, specifically, to gain the inner circle of Princess Ileana and her friends. What follows is a tale full of local superstition and folk tales as well as politics and royal intrigue. Mary and Sherlock work more together than in some of the other books. You may be able to read Castle Shade without reading the other books, but treat yourself and read them all!!!!

Transylvania fears!

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes leave the Côte d’Azur (see Riviera Gold) and forge onward to Roumania, “a place where the maps have ‘Here be dragons.’” Actually they are heading for a village near to Brasov and Queen Marie’s favourite castle. ”Castle Bran in the Transylvania hills [that] has everything one could wish, including it seems witches, vampires and things that go bump in the night.” They’ve come at the bequest of Queen Marie, a granddaughter of Victoria.
It also appears that Sherlock had been this way when he’d been absent during Mary’s time in the Riviera. Both journies enabled by Mycroft to ensure that the Queen is not being targeted by groups determined to be rid of her. (Interestingly by now May and Sherlock have come to the decision that Mycroft needs to stop interfering with their lives. I sense a thoughtfulness from Sherlock about Mary as his wife and what that means that I haven’t detected before.)
Dangers are apparent. People have seen strange happenings, witches and shadowy figures are whispered about. The locals are hanging garlic and sharpening wooden stakes. When one of the Queen’s maids disappears and rumours start up about the Queen maintaining her youthfulness by drinking the blood of virgins, quick and decisive action is needed. All very tricky and Bram Stocker.
Another fascinating episode in the lives of Russell and Sherlock.

A Random - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

As always, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes save the day. The details in Laurie Kings writing just draws me in. Even though I was reading it on a sunny day, I could imagine myself in Roumania. I didn't know anything about that time and Era, so I loved the (mostly) true history behind it and need to look up more about Queen Marie.
All lovers of history, go read this series!

Laurie R. King never disappoints. Each of her series unfailingly delivers a compelling sense of place; smart, perceptive characters; intelligent, economical dialogue, and well-researched and tightly-woven plots.

What's fun about the Mary Russell series, of course, is the time setting: the early 20th-century, of course, because Sherlock Holmes is an established, maturing figure who has taken on a young, very liberated wife.

While the place setting (a castle in Transylvania) was not my favorite among the places to which Holmes and Russell have been dispatched, this story features all the characteristic King elements. This time, the duo must apply their knowledge and logic to a mystery that plays on the locals' superstitions and folklore. They must deal, in myth if not in fact, with Dracula and vampirism.

As always, I enjoyed my time in the company of her intelligent characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance readers copy.

“Castle Shade,” by Laurie R. King, Bantam, 384 pages, June 8, 2021.

Queen Marie of Roumania has written to Sherlock Holmes asking for help.

He and his wife, Mary Russell, travel to Bran, a castle overlooking the border between Roumania and Transylvania. The castle was a gift to Queen Marie from her people. Queen Marie is married to King Frederick. She is the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of Alexander II, Tsar of Russia.

The queen’s youngest child, Ileana, 16, may be in danger. A teenage girl from the village disappeared. Another child said she too was attacked.

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are only at Bran for a few days when Holmes receives an urgent message from his brother, Mycroft, to travel to Bucharest. There Holmes hears rumors that the queen is having an affair with Prince Barbu Stirbey.

The plot has multiple layers. When you think you’ve figured it out, the story takes a twist. The characters are excellent. Laurie R. King does a wonderful job describing the people, scenery and customs. Queen Marie and her family were real people. The afterword explains what happened to them.

This is the 17th in the series which imagines Holmes in his later years. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but if you haven’t read the others in the series, I recommend that you do to see how the characters evolve.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This series is one of my favorites. I always look forward to seeing a new book by Ms. King which features Russell and Holmes.

I enjoyed this book and laughed quite a lot as I read the first third. While there are usually bits of humor tucked into the Russell stories, this one had a bit more than usual.

It was also different in that, throughout the book, we were treated to Holme’s investigation when he was not with Russell. It made for a nice change of pace as I read my way through the book. I had to fight with myself to put it down so I could savor it for three days instead of a marathon read in a single one.

It was interesting to be treated to the (dramatized) history of Roumania and especially Transylvania. Oh my, shades of Dracula, which was mentioned a time or two or maybe even more often.

The only problem with finishing the book was that I now have to wait for the next one to be published. During the meantime, I am treating myself and my husband to listening to the audio versions of the earlier books.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Vampires, witches, and zombies, oh my! I loved visiting with Holmes and Russell as they travel to Roumania to help Queen Marie with her problem. This was the 17th in the series, but I believe it would be very good as a stand alone book. Holmes and Russell can hold their own against just about everything imaginable - but Transylvania offers some truly unique challenges to the pair.
One cute little white dog, 5 paws up!!

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Every reader has their list of must read series and eagerly awaits the arrival of the latest tome into their hands. Settling down to become immersed in it is great comfort and this series has always lived up to my expectations. At seventeen books it's still going strong and this just may be my new favorite.
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are on their way to Roumania and Transylvania - the world of Vlad the Impaler and vampire lore. They are going at the request of one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters, Queen Marie and are staying at Castle Bran with a cover story of architectural consultants. There are some very strange occurrences at the castle and who else but Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes to uncover the answers.
I won't go into details for fear of committing spoilers. If you are already of fan of this wonderful series, you are in for another great adventure. If you are new to the series you might want to read at least the first several in the series to get a feel for it. This one can stand alone but is much more enjoyable if you have read all of the previous books. As a plus, I found myself going off to find out more about Queen Marie.
My thanks to the publisher Bantam and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

After time spent in sunny locations such as Venice and the Riviera, Russell and Holmes are off to the cozy destination of...Transylvania? Yes, gentle readers, Mary and Sherlock are headed to Castle Bran, vacation home of Queen Marie of Roumania. The castle and nearby village have been experiencing some troubling incidents that have aroused suspicions that there may be strigoi - vampires - in the area. Disappearances, attacks, injuries...and someone is stirring up rumors against the queen. Is it political unrest? Transylvanian nationalists wanting control of their country back from Roumania? A personal attack on the queen herself? Between appeals from her royal majesty and from Mycroft Holmes, the intrepid pair will have to brave dark woods, gypsy camps, unreliable railway connections, and Mycroft's Roumanian contacts to solve the mystery.

This is a fun read pitting Russell and Holmes against superstition, dark forces, and things that go bump in the night.

If you were put off by Riviera Gold's lack of Holmes, you will be pleased that the partnership of Holmes and Russell is much more front and center (and constant) throughout this latest edition of Russell's memoirs. This book neatly dovetails with Riviera Gold, much like Riviera Gold and Island of the Mad dovetail.

I'm glad I did a little homework ahead of time on Wikipedia on the Romanian characters -- it certainly helped me to keep track of them.

There is plenty of action, plenty of mysteries to solve, and plenty of local color and images to soak up. As always, Russell and her literary agent do an excellent job of painting vivid pictures. So much so that this almost unfolded in my mind as if I were watching a movie, which isn't always the case.

Another excellent adventure, with the future promise of an agreement between Holmes, Russell, and Mycroft as to the extent to which their activities are directed by Mycroft. How will Holmes thread this needle in a future installment?

This can be read as a standalone book, but long-time fans of Russell and Holmes are sure to be delighted as well.

Castle Shade by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #17) 4 stars

After the events in Riviera Gold, Russell and Holmes are on their way to Romania to help Queen Marie. There are threats against Queen Marie and her daughter, Princess Ileana. So Russell and Holmes must make their way to Castle Bran, a medieval mountain fortress, at the request of Queen Marie, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. There are mentions of Bram Stoker, Elizabeth Bathory, and Vlad Tepas (aka Dracula). Folklore and atmosphere abound with the political landscape and intrigues that inhabit post WWI. Russell and Holmes must eliminate the threat and keep the Royals safe.

I found the story interesting and a better story than Riviera Gold. I like the atmospheric touches; the story was an even split between Russell and Holmes. The relationship between the two is not without discomfort on Holmes's part. A long time bachelor, he is still adjusting to his emotions towards Mary; the progression of this partnership is what makes me come back again and again. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for this ARC.

As this one opens, Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes, are leaving the sunny Riviera, the scene of their previous adventure, Riviera Gold, for the chillier and considerably more forbidding Carpathian Mountains. For the very scene of Count Dracula’s fictional adventures.

But Castle Bran, unlike the fictional residence of Dracula that was based on it, is the real life retreat of Queen Marie of Roumania.

There is a bit of Dorothy Parker doggerel that I memorized a long time ago, that goes:

“Life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea.
Love is a thing that can never go wrong,
And I am Marie of Roumania.”

I had no idea that Marie of Roumania was a real person. I thought it was something Parker made up in order to make the thing rhyme and scan correctly. Color me chagrined.

Holmes is on his way to Castle Bran and the town of Bran that it overlooks at the behest of Queen Marie herself. Someone is threatening the Queen’s young daughter, Princess Ireana and Her Majesty wants Holmes to find the culprit and stop them. That Holmes is also in the area at the suggestion, at least, of his brother Mycroft turns out to be a source of irritation for both Holmes and Russell.

Mycroft, the eminence grise of the British government, has a habit of commanding and commandeering the services of his brother for political purposes and occasionally downright espionage, in ways that give Russell serious qualms.

Qualms that are quite serious, a situation that has been developing since Russell learned the full scope of Mycroft’s government remit during The God of the Hive. Qualms that are compelling Holmes to, effectively, pick a side. He can either continue to serve his brother whenever and wherever called upon, at a moment’s notice for purposes that he may or may not strictly agree with and may or may not be for the so-called “greater good” – or he can remain married and in full partnership with his wife Mary Russell.

Because Mary requires honesty and Mycroft requires secrecy, and those requirements cannot both be met. (The fallout, when it finally comes in a later book in the series, is going to be EPIC.)

But at the moment, Holmes and Russell have a case. A case that has entirely too many shades of The Sussex Vampire, while potentially covered in all the blood that the infamous Roumanian countess Erzsebet (AKA Elizabeth) Bathory, ever bathed in.

There’s someone running around Bran and its neighboring villages trying to convince the locals that Queen Marie is as evil as Bathory and Dracula combined, and that no one in Bran will be safe until she’s been evicted from her castle.

Or, until Russell and Holmes figure out who is really behind this local reign of attempted terror.

Escape Rating A-: Castle Shade was good fun. Not quite as much good fun as Riviera Gold, but still absolutely worth the read for anyone who has followed the adventures of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes since The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.

Speaking of which, while I don’t think you have to have read Mary Russell’s entire opus to get into Castle Shade, you do have to have read some, if only to make sure you can get past the astonishing premise, that when Holmes retired to Sussex to keep bees he took on a 15-year-old apprentice who later – after she attained her majority – became both his investigative partner and his spouse.

But the case, with its echoes of Holmes’ earlier investigation, The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, is, in its way, a kind of a callback to Holmes’ earlier adventures.

In spite of the potential political overtones, the brush with real-life royalty and the unresolved issue of Brother Mycroft, among other things, the case that the Queen has asked Holmes to investigate and that Holmes has, in turn, requested Russell’s assistance with, winds its way around and about until it resolves into something classic.

When Holmes rules out any political motivations, the heart of the mystery turns into one of the basic questions in mystery. “Qui bono?” or more familiarly, “Who benefits?”

Because it’s all about Queen Marie and her ownership of Bran Castle. The whole point of the strange happenings and rumor mongering and attempts at raising unbridled hysteria among the local population are all aimed at Queen Marie.

Someone wants her out of Castle Bran. Someone believes they benefit from driving Marie out of her castle. It’s up to Holmes and Russell to see through all the misdirection swirling around them, find a way clear of all the many and various secrets that the locals are obviously keeping that may or may not have anything to do with what’s really going on, to determine exactly who it is who is up to no good.

And stop them.

One of the other lovely things about this particular entry in the series is that, unlike Riviera Gold and other recent stories, the focus is equally split between Holmes and Russell. They have equal but separate parts to play in this mystery and I’m happy to see that, at the moment of this story at least, their partnership is still working for both of them.

While this mystery comes to a satisfactory conclusion, it is equally clear that the adventures of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes still have many more stories yet to tell. And I’m looking forward to each and every one.

Queen Marie of Romania has hired Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes because someone is threatening her daughter Princess Ileana. That's the bones of this wonderful installment in the long running series which is perfectly enjoyable as a standalone (or sort of standalone.). Mary and Sherlock find themselves investigating events in and around Castle Bran-it's a creepy place and creepy things happen. Yes there's some vampire stuff (of course!) but it never overwhelms the story. Queen Marie was critical to Romania in the post WWI period and I not only enjoyed this as a novel, I learned something (and found myself poking looking for more info not only about Marie but others as well). As always, Mary and Sherlock are the stars; they have a good relationship and their verbal sparring moves the story forward. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me but know that this will keep you guessing.

As a first-time reader of Laurie R. King and her Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, I can say this mystery hooked me from the first page and kept me reading. I gobbled this adventure, Book 17 in the series, in a couple sittings because of the solid mystery construction, the compelling sense of place, and the fluidly integrated historical details re: Marie of Roumania. Born Princess of Edinburgh in 1875, Queen Victoria's granddaughter became Queen Marie of Roumania. She received her favorite residence, Bran Castle, from the local council of Brasov as a gift in 1920 after the Kingdom of Romania united with Transylvania. In this book, Marie contracts Sherlock Holmes's services after receiving a mysterious message that threatens her 16-year-old daughter Ileana's life. Holmes brings his young and spirited wife along to Transylvania, where the plot thickens and the couple of detectives go to work.
[Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.]

A series I've long admired. Sherlock Holmes of course, the man who always manages to pull the rabbit out of the air, make deductions from random, often to me, meaningless clues. Mary Russell, is all a worthy, interesting companion. This series is more than a mystery, combines elements of a travelogue and a solid historical. We are introduced to historical characters of which I have read little. Last outing took us to Monaco, this one to Transylvania, where we meet Queen Marie of Roumania.

The details ably bring us into the setting, which are always described with an attention to detail. For some reason though, I found this mystery less to my liking than others in her last writings. Don't really know why, but I just couldn't connect. Still I loved the history, the details and look forward to the next installment.

ARC from Netgalley.

This mystery was amazing in every way. I have enjoyed all of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes adventures I have read so far, and this one is one of the most enjoyable yet. I like the historical background and the featuring of historic figures in the story, portrayed in a real life type setting with personalities very well developed. It makes the story come alive.
I loved that Mary and Holmes worked closely together on this adventure, as they did when Mary was newly assisting Holmes in the beginning. It is always Mary's voice, in the narrative, that keeps things exciting and has me waiting for the next story. The wit is fun and often has me grinning to myself as I am reading, sometimes receiving strange looks from people who see me,
Even the author's notes afterwards are entertaining. "Please don’t blame me for Miss Russell’s deliberate imprecisions."
Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam / Random House for the opportunity to read the e-ARC from a favorite author and series.

After their adventures in Riviera Gold, Sherlock and Mary Russell find themselves on a train to Roumania where Queen Marie has received threats against her daughter Ileana. Sherlock has turned down requests for assistance from women in the past, but this comes as a request from his brother Mycroft. He admits that one of his faults is a blind spot when it comes to women and hopes that Mary will be able to befriend Ileana. When they arrive at Bran Castle they find that the Queen has been delayed, giving them the opportunity to explore. There is a small village where signs of superstition and folk lore are evident. Someone has been using these superstitions to scare the people and ruin the Queen’s relationship with them.

Bran Castle was built as a fortress and it was later abandoned and falling to ruin. It was given to Queen Marie in appreciation for her service and assistance to the people in the area during WWI. She has been restoring the castle and Ileana has been working with the girls in the area to help with their education, which has endeared them to the people. When a hex bag is found with items related to the Queen and poison feed is set out for the chickens, Sherlock foils the plan. When a village girl disappears, Mary once again finds planted evidence pointing to the Queen. If they are going to save her and protect Ileana they will have to discover the reasons for these attacks and the person behind them.

Mixing history and mystery, Laurie King summarizes background events in a “Once upon a time...” fairy tale style. Her story is set in an area that is populated by peasants and gypsies and with a number of incidents occurring after dark it has an eerie quality. It is atmospheric and mysterious, but with Sherlock and Mary Russell investigating you are guaranteed an exciting story and an ending that provides satisfaction. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

Sherlock Holmes drags his wife Mary Russell from sunny Monaco to a moldering castle in Romania at the behest of his meddlesome brother, Mycroft. Queen Marie is related to so many European royals that any excitement in her vicinity could easily lead to war. She generally adores her rural retreats in Castle Bran, but lately mysterious incidents, sinister accidents, and threats against her teenaged daughter have her troubled. Superstitious locals may blame witches, ghosts, and/or vampires, but the sleuths are determined to find a more mundane cause. The atmosphere shines more than the slow-burning, low-peril mystery.

In some ways, Castle Shade reminds me of Pirate King—which, like many other fans, I underestimated at first but warmed up to on a second reading. Shade is billed as King’s stab at a Gothic novel, a claim borne out by the setting: a recently decrepit castle atop a Transylvanian mountain, next to a village where rumors of vampires are circulating. But beneath the details of castle life and local folklore lurks a classic King mystery, one that Russell and Holmes alternately cooperate and compete to resolve.

In brief, the setup is as follows. Holmes and Russell have just left Monaco, the site of Riviera Gold (no. 16), and are on a train heading east, except that when the book opens, the train is not heading anywhere; it’s stuck in a station. Russell, being disinclined to spend weeks of her young life traveling from Italy to Romania, solicits help from the conductor. Soon she and Holmes are on their way back to Vienna, before finding more reliable transportation southeast. The summons to Castle Bran, the Transylvanian mountain fortress mentioned above, comes from Queen Marie of Romania, one of the many descendants of Britain’s Queen Victoria on one side and of Emperor Alexander II of Russia on the other.

Queen Marie has received a threat aimed at her teenage daughter, and that is only the most worrying of the troubling incidents that afflict Castle Bran whenever the queen spends her time there. Marie enlists the help of Holmes, skeptical but unwilling to refuse royalty, who in turn recruits Russell to, as he puts it, “be my inside informant into the mysterious realm of the adolescent female.” It takes some persuasion, but in the end Russell agrees there might be something worth investigating in the reports of walking undead and countesses who bathe themselves in the blood of their victims. The chase is on—or should we say, given the context, the game is afoot?

One element sets this book aside from its predecessors and imparts some of the improvisational quality of Pirate King: every so often, King presents a character’s backstory in the style of a fairy tale, in a chapter of its own. I saw this approach as a creative and helpful way to handle the historical novelist’s perennial problem of how to get across essential context without indulging in the dreaded “information dump.” Other readers may feel differently, but it does fit the generally otherworldly atmosphere of the book.

The one area where I would like to see more development—not just in this novel but in the series as a whole—is the relationship between Russell and Holmes. They’ve been together for ten years and married for five, yet they still come across more as business partners than as husband and wife. I don’t expect (or, frankly, want) intense romance, which would fit neither the characters nor the genre, but every time I start one of these books, I hope for more exploration of the couple’s feelings than the occasional statement that one of them cares for or experiences anxiety about or misses the other. I could say all those things about my cat—and at times do—but that doesn’t mean I feel the same way about her as I do about my husband.

So far, only A Murderous Regiment of Women, Locked Rooms, and Garment of Shadows have taken steps in that direction. But maybe we’ll get there next time. And if that’s the reason why I withhold the fifth star, it’s also just one element of a series that has brought me great enjoyment for almost two decades. I’m glad I read Castle Shade. I thank the publisher for the opportunity. And when no. 18 rolls around, you can bet I’ll be first in line.

Sherlock Holmes has accepted the challenge of finding out who is threatening the youngest daughter of the much-loved Queen of Romania, and he expects Mary Russell, his wife, to join him in his quest. Mary quickly realizes that the threats are made up of mainly whispered innuendos of odd goings on. While Mary has her doubts about this particular case and wonders why Holmes agreed to accept it, she agrees to travel with him to a brooding castle on the border of Romania and Transylvania.

This is the 17th entry in what was once an outstanding series, but which has grown increasingly stale over the years. In this outing the mystery is not the central theme of the story. This would have been better touted as a historical novel. The early books in the series were the best because Russell was the central character while Holmes had the role as a sidekick. Then Holmes slowly but surely took over the books as the central character thus relegating Russell to secondary character status and the series suffered for it.

The writing is very good but King does information dumps that, while very interesting, take the reader out of the story of Russell and Holmes. The story meanders around the central issue of who’s making the threats, and finally gets there.

If you’re a fan of Russell and Holmes, you’ll undoubtedly want to read this book in the series, but if this is the first book in the series to have caught your attention, you’d be better served to go to the first book in the series, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” and meet Mary Russell as a young woman finishing her university degree.

My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an eARC.